proximity

American  

[prok-sim-i-tee] / prɒkˈsɪm ɪ ti /

noun

1. nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation; closeness.

---

proximity British  

/ prɒkˈsɪmɪtɪ /

noun

1. nearness in space or time

2. nearness or closeness in a series

---

Other Word Forms

• nonproximity noun

Etymology

Origin of proximity

First recorded in 1475–85; late Middle English; from Middle French proximité, from Latin proximitāt-, stem of proximitās “nearness, adjacent area, vicinity”

Explanation

The word proximity means nearness or closeness. "Because of the proximity of our desks, I couldn't help but notice him cheating on the exam." Your favorite thing about your neighborhood of attached row houses might be the proximity of your neighbors — they're really close to you. Proximity comes from the Latin proximus, "nearest," which also gives us approximate, "close to the actual." You can use this noun to talk about a physical closeness, or something that's near in time, like the proximity of the months April and May.

Example Sentences

So have questions about what makes for inappropriate content, or how damaging proximity to that material actually is for brands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Schwimmer noted that this proximity makes the Tellus Science Museum an ideal location for displaying one of the first full-scale replicas.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

On Thursday, the pastor published a defensive blog post about the war and his church’s proximity to it.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Even though it may be a small percentage, Farzan said, “our results are clearly showing that there is something about proximity to the sea that is impactful for children’s health.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

"I'll just be a minute," Paulie says, and so I lean against the wall, and I feel nervous enough about the ID to forget being nervous about my proximity to Jane.

From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan

Related Words

• closeness